George Townshend (Royal Navy officer)

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George Townshend
Born29 October 1716
DiedAugust 1769 (aged 52)
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1729–1769
RankAdmiral
Commands heldHMS Tartar
HMS Chatham
HMS Bedford
Jamaica Station
Battles/wars
RelationsCharles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend (father)
Dorothy Townshend (mother)

Admiral The Hon. George Townshend (29 October 1716 – August 1769) was a British naval commander.

Naval career[edit]

Townshend was the eldest son of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend, and his second wife Dorothy, sister of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole.[1]

Townshend served in the Royal Navy and, having been promoted to post captain on 30 January 1739, he was given command of the third-rate HMS Bedford in 1743 and saw action at the Battle of Toulon in February 1744[2] before commanding British fleet at the Siege of Genoa in 1746 during the War of the Austrian Succession.[3] He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station from 1749 to 1752, and having been promoted to rear admiral on 6 January 1755, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Jamaica Station again from 1755 to 1757.[4]

Promoted to vice admiral in February 1757 and to full admiral in 1765, he died in August 1769.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Townshend, George (1715-1769)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 57. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. ^ a b "George Townshend". Three Decks. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  3. ^ Lodge pp. 201–202
  4. ^ Cundall, p. xx

Sources[edit]

  • Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.
  • Lodge, Sir Richard (1930). Studies in Eighteenth Century Diplomacy 1740-1748. John Murray.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
1749–1752
Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by
Vacant
Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
1755–1757
Succeeded by